Gear Patrol

Portable battery power for your gear is always practical but obviously very finite — and, usually, pretty dull looking. The Exogear Exovolt Plus stackable battery tackles both downsides by providing unlimited expandability and a look that seems to tap into Cupertino’s sleek monochromatic simplicity. The 5,200mA Lithium Polymer Battery Main Unit ($90) provides power on…

Earlier this year, we told you about the innovative new BioLite CampStove, which promised to not only cook your wieners but also charge your smartphone using only firewood. This summer, I had a chance to take one camping to see how it worked in the wild. I took it on a road trip to northern…

Keyboards are underrated and mistreated. Face it: the thing your fingers are resting next to right now is absolutely filthy — you disgusting pig, you. Luckily for you, the Logitech Washable Keyboard ($40) can be cleansed of its grime, just like a stack of dirty dishes. Using UV coating and laser-printed symbols for durability, the…

Steve Jobs said touch screens would work “like magic” and revolutionize how we control computing devices. He was right, but a small start-up in San Francisco is taking that idea to the next level dimension. Leap Motion 3D Sensor ($70) is an iPod-sized USB device that creates an eight cubic foot 3D motion field to…

If you’re not backing up your data, you’ll regret it. Cloud storage solutions like Dropbox provide some piece of mind, but they’ve yet to fully keep pace with today’s ever-growing media libraries. The Drobo Mini ($649+) is a new personal and portable storage solution for mobile professionals that holds up to 3TB of data in…

The iMac’s design is unquestionably stunning, but it’s hard to marvel too long at a screen that’s burning your corneas with glare. The MacFrame ($49+) protects you from needing your grandma’s glaucoma shades while you surf the web. Luckily, glare is actually caused by the screen’s glass cover and not the glass LCD monitor screen…

Leaning into the October launch of tablet-ready Windows 8, Microsoft’s Wedge Mobile Keyboard and Mouse saves you from sacrificing screen real estate for data input. The two compact tools are both Bluetooth-enabled and designed to match smoothly with the company’s operating system. The keyboard comes with Hotkeys set to take full advantage of Windows 8…

Can a simple sliver of steel transform your desk organization? It just might. Harnessing the power of fulcrum and gravity, the TwelveSouth BackPack 2 ($35) transforms your otherwise inert iMac or Cinema Display arm into a convenient parking spot for your Apple devices or peripherals. With vertical support pegs, built-in cable management, and multiple mounting…

People have filmed some insane stuff since the GoPro first came out. The indestructible camera that could can be used in seemingly limitless ways, which means a seemingly limitless collection of cases and accessories. Kind of difficult to shoot that video you planned of yourself parasailing into a gorge while on a flame-engulfed surfboard with…

The days of needing a router just to catch up on captioned cat photos have long since gone the way of the beeper. Today, everything from video calling and media streaming, to automatic “cloud” backups and farming gold in mythical lands is funneled through home broadband — not just on desktops or laptops, but on…

If you could roll all of RoboCop’s awesome features — immense protection, smarts, reliability, durability, prime directives — into an iPhone case, what you’d end up with is the TAKTIK ($75+). Designed by Chicago industrial designer Scott Wilson + Minimal, of LUNATIK Strap fame, the TAKTIK follows in its predecessors roots through a Kickstarter project…

The closure of El Bulli + the rise of 3D digital printing = Opportunity! Bereft foodies now have common cause with CAD manufacturers — to rejoice in the dementedly creative mind of one NYU grad student who has prototyped the Burritob0t, a 3D printer for making, yep, burritos. Inspired by a frustration over the paucity…

If your penchant for gaming, music and web surfing through your smartphone is a 10/10, then you might want to put a tickler in your calendar for this holiday season in anticipation of the Clamcase Clambook. With nary a hint of Macbook Air (ahem), the Clambook is as thin as the day is long and…

Finding interesting ways to carry around our camera gear never gets old. ONA’s useful camera bag inserts are a great item for casual photographers looking for the best way to stash a camera in their luggage. The brand’s new Camps Bay ($430) backpack, however, is a full-service camera and laptop carrier geared toward the pros….

Dial down the touristy vibe on your next photo hunt, home or abroad, with a DSPTCH Camera Sling Strap ($48). Designed and made in San Francisco by a photographer — a man quite deft with the lens himself — is made using mil-spec commercial grade nylon webbing and outfitted with a uni-loop connector to ensure…

Traveling and giving presentations for work is stressful enough, which is why perennial mouse-maker Logitech has created the Cube. The palm-sized businessman’s friend is a combination mouse/presenter that lightens the load of even the most burdened road warrior. Thanks to touch surface scrolling, the Cube acts as a traditional mouse when placed on a flat…

If you’re getting rid of an old computer, be very careful about the data that you leave behind on the hard drive. Having someone steal your social security and credit card numbers would be bad enough, but think of what would happen if someone got a look at something much worse — like a glance…

From outcries that they’re paying too much for current technology to being badged as label-driven sheep, Apple fan boys take a lot of flack for their devotion. But regardless of whether or not you agree with any of the admonitions, one thing has never been in doubt –Apple products are gorgeous. For those of you…

Over the years, we’ve raved about Billykirk’s products and founders, and their latest laptop sleeves ($219+) reaffirms our love. It’s a classic Billykirk piece – blending chic with toughness, and elegance with durability. Featuring hand-stitched Horween leather, a Chicago asset since 1905, this sleeve exudes rugged class. In any boardroom or meeting it sends a…

Technology moves fast, but for those of us that dream about time-traveling DeLoreans and holographic computer screens, it can’t move fast enough. That’s why our inner-LeVar Burton became giddy with excitement when Google shared some details of their long-rumored experiment, Project Glass. Whisperings among the Technorati have guessed at specs that seemed straight out of…

We all know photography gear can quickly become overwhelming. Lenses, bags, cameras, straps, cords, –- it eventually gets out of hand. Thankfully, Camera Clip by Peak Design ($80), is a cool and easy alternative to the traditional neck strap. Simply screw the quick-release plate to your camera’s tripod mount, attach the die cast aluminum main…

You’re thinking, “What the hell is Gear Patrol doing writing about a scanner?” Next thing you know, they’ll be covering external CD burners and zip drives. Normally, we’d share those sentiments with you, but Doxie’s Go portable scanner ($199+) provides a wallop of convenience in a very portable, 10.5″ x 1.7″ x 2.2″, 14oz package….

Dress up your favorite shooter with the A7 Original Camera Strap II. Each strap is made in the U.S.A. by a family-owned NYC based leather manufacturer. Color options include black, brown, or a slightly pricier but reversible olive and gray edition. Whatever color your prefer, it’s guaranteed to look classier than advertising your camera model…

You can ask your smartphone to help you hide dead bodies, or swing an invisible lightsaber like a giddy 12 year-old on a Lucky Charms sugar high, but setting up a wireless router still requires logging on to a website and fiddling with complex settings. Securifi is a new startup that wants to bring critical…

One of our favorite camera accessory companies Holdfast, started by professional photographer and GP reader Matthew Swaggert, has just released the perfect piece of gear for managing your memory cards and money. The 4.35″ Indispensable Photographer’s Wallet ($45+) features a foldable design with three pockets. The exterior slide pocket holds IDs and the various other…

We’ve seen the light. Solar power is not only awesome for outdoor, gadget powering duties, but it seems like every month we’re encountering a better, more innovative solution like the Joos Orange ($149). The Joos not only offers up durable, waterproof design that can withstand a bullet, but it does so without the special ops…

Now that the holidays are long over and Apple products are filling pockets and bags by the tree-full, it’s time to worry about protecting them. We particularly like the Rickshaw Bagworks Performance Tweed laptop sleeve ($50). As always, Rickshaw manufactures to-order and their products are customizable, but we are sold on the classic Performance Tweed….

One of the few knocks on the iPhone 4S has been its battery life. While our own iPhone doesn’t seem to be plagued with any battery-sucking gnomes, having a longer battery life, when you need it, is never a bad thing. PowerSkin makes a number of cases for major mobile phones (ahem, your iPhone) that…

Simple, elegant, purposeful — those adjectives are just as applicable to the iPad 2, as they are to the Magnus iPad 2 stand ($50) by Ten One Design. The pure aluminum base is machine-crafted and equipped with customized magnets to hold Apple’s latest tablet firmly in place. While thicker cases won’t work with the stand,…

Plenty of brands sell solar panels to help adventurers keep their gadgets charged no matter how far they wander off the trail. The HiLight (~$257) from Swedish company HiNation provides the same charging convenience for USB or Micro USB devices, while also serving as an LED lantern. Ten hours of sunlight charging can power the…